SWISS FACADE, MOSHER & ASSOCIATES.
Involvement: Architect, Construction Manager
Project Objective: A business located on the main street of historic downtown New Glarus, known for it’s old world European heritage, wanted to alter their midcentury façade to match the local aesthetic. The village has a “Swiss Design” ordinance and a municipal grant to assist commercial property owners in revamping or maintaining their buildings.
Below you will see the design process, starting with imagery to guide the colors, textures, and details for the project. Next, the building was modeled in 3D to allow the owner to better visualize the design. Finally, detailed drafting to guide local skilled trades.
Some design obstacles:
Making an impactful change on a budget while fitting into the local Swiss heritage.
The local ordinance, at the time, had only approved facade colors in the brown family. The existing building was a tan brick and the owner wanted to bring more “life” to the facade. After research, I met with the local Swiss and historical design committee to demonstrate ranges of colors used in the more colorful Alsacia region bordering Switzerland and worked to get an expanded color range for the project.
Creating a design that had minimal maintenance and could be completed before downtown festival season began.
The project sits on the main street in the historic village. Festivals were often held directly in front of the building with large crowds. The owner had often had to repair the Cow Statue on their sidewalk and he wanted to find a simple solution to keep it safe.
